The Triple Talaq Bill was passed by the Parliament last month on July 30, making instant triple talaq a crime with three years in jail. It’s not even been a month, and women are still struggling hard and suffering. Recently, a 22-year-old woman was allegedly burnt alive by her husband and in-laws after she lodged a police complaint on being given triple talaq. This heinous incident took place in the Gadra village of Shravasti district in Uttar Pradesh.

Sayeeda was burnt alive by her husband and in-laws

The brutal incident happened in front of Sayeeda’s five-year-old daughter Fatima and son Rafique. Rafique took his sister to the police station where she narrated the whole incident. Fatima told police: “On Friday noon, my father returned after offering Namaz and told mother to go away since he had given her talaq, resulting in a spat. My grandfather Azizullah, grandmother Haseena, and aunts Gudiya, Nadira came. Father held my mother by her hair and thrashed her, my aunts Nadira and Gudiya poured kerosene and grandfather Azizullah and grandmother Haseena lit a match (sic).”

Here’s how police negligence led to Sayeeda’s death

The victim’s father, Ramzan Khan said: “Sayeeda went to lodge a complaint, but the police did not register a case and sent her home, telling her to let her husband return from Mumbai. When Nafees arrived on August 15, police summoned the couple, talked to them and told Sayeeda to stay with Nafees (sic).”

To which Shravasti SP, Ashish Srivastva said: “An FIR has been registered against Nafees and his family members on charges of dowry harassment, murder, and dowry prohibition act. The allegations of the victim's father about triple talaq will be probed. It will be seen why a case was not registered if the victim had approached police on August 6 (sic).”

Do we blame police negligence or our law and order?

Who is to be blamed? The police negligence or the law and order which seems to only exist on paper. To be honest, BOTH! Not only Sayeeda but many other Muslim women are still fighting for justice over triple talaq. Another woman in Kandhla district of UP has alleged her husband gave her triple talaq over the phone earlier this month. Another victim is a lady from Etah who allegedly got a triple talaq inside the premises of a CJM court in Etah. A woman in Hapur has also registered a case of triple talaq over dowry demands.